Members of the Westboro Baptist Church protest during graduation ceremonies with President Barack Obama at Notre Dame, May 17, 2009. (AP Photo/Eric Y. Exit)

(Newser)
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The father of a Marine killed in Iraq and whose funeral was picketed by anti-gay protesters was ordered to pay the protesters' appeal costs, his lawyers said yesterday. On Friday, Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ordered Albert Snyder to pay $16,510 to Fred Phelps, the leader of the Westboro Baptist Church that conducted protests at Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder's funeral in 2006.

The decision adds "insult to injury," said one of Snyder's lawyers. The two-page decision supplied by attorneys for Snyder offered no details on how the court came to its decision. Attorneys also said Snyder is struggling to come up with fees associated with filing a brief with the US Supreme Court, which has agreed to hear the case.

Wish there was a law on the books for this. The Supreme Court would uphold it, IMO, since it would obviously be content-neutral since the protests have nothing to do with the deceased. No protests at peoples funerals. Simple. Very similar to the law that was upheld in Frisby v. Schultz banning protests at people's homes.